Cesar Rodriguez, Larry Villegas and others stood in a driveway of a South Whittier home in the early morning hours of Aug. 28, 2011 when the driver of a passing car opened fire at the group.

Cesar Rodriguez, a 19-year-old Sheriff’s Explorer Scout from Whittier, and Villegas, a 24-year-old mechanic from Whittier expecting his second child, died on that driveway.

Seven years later, the killer and his accomplices in the car remain unidentified. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Supervisor Janice Hahn to offer a $25,000 reward in the case.

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During a press conference Tuesday in front of the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in Los Angeles, Cesar Rodriguez’s mother, Lupe, said she had been waiting for a reward to be offered. If the suspect had the courage to do the shooting, she thinks he should also have the courage to come forward.

“You have absolutely no right to kill anyone, especially our children,” she said. “Have the courage to step forward. You will live better.”

Hahn said the families of Cesar Rodriguez and Larry Villegas deserve answers and whoever did the shooting deserves to be behind bars.

Detectives think the shooter assumed the group standing in the 11800 block of Painter Avenue just after 3 a.m. were gang members, according to sheriff’s Homicide Lt. John Corina. He said the group had no gang ties, knew each other and were hanging out after work.

Julie Villegas, who is the older sister of Larry Villegas, said there was a party earlier at the Painter Avenue house. By early Sunday morning, she said her brother was already home. He decided to head over because Cesar Rodriguez dropped by. She said the group was just talking.

Detectives are not sure how many people were in the silver or gray car which was last seen northbound on Painter Avenue. Sgt. Michael Rodriguez, who has been the detective on the case since the beginning, said the car is possibly a Scion or a similar-looking vehicle.

He said there were at least two people in the car, possibly more.

Every year, family, friends and supporters mark the anniversary of the slayings by marching through South Whittier and holding a vigil. They gather to remember, to call for justice and to ask the public for information that could solve the cold case.

Sgt. Michael Rodriguez said there was nothing in the victims’ behavior and lifestyle that would have led to the shooting.

Cesar Rodriguez was an Explorer Scout at the Norwalk Station for four years and served as the program’s Honor Guard leader. He aspired to be a deputy, according to Sgt. Rodriguez.

George Rodriguez, who is one of Cesar Rodriguez’s older brothers, has a message for the killer.

“Although you may think you got away with murder and are running free, my family and I are here to let you know that we’ll not stop until justice has been served, until your freedom is taken from you as you took my brother’s life, not giving a second look at the pain it has given us,” George Rodriguez said.

He said they hope the reward will encourage someone to come forward and help put away “these degenerates” before they hurt someone else.

Villegas was the third child in a family of four. Julie Villegas said her brother worked as a mechanic for Caterpillar Inc which paid for him to go to college and earn an associate arts degree. At the time of the shooting, she said his son was 10 months old and his girlfriend was pregnant with the couple’s daughter.

She described her brother as a lovable and kind man.

“Everybody knew who Larry was,” she said.

Villegas’ son started second grade and the daughter began first grade this week. She said the shooter needs to know he left two children without a father.

“I know for a fact somebody knows something,” she said.

Anyone with information about the double murders is asked to call the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.

Ruby Gonzales started working for the company in 1991. Since then she has written about cities, school districts, crimes, cold cases, courts, the San Gabriel River, local history, anime, insects, forensics and the early days of the Internet when people still referred to it as the "information superhighway." Her current beat includes breaking news, crimes and courts for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star News and Whittier Daily News. When not in crime reporter mode, she frequents the remaining bookstores in the San Gabriel Valley, haunts craft stores or gets dragged to eateries by a relative who is a foodie.